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UNDER  THE  WAR  CLOUDS  IN  URUMIA 
WEST  PERSIA 


1914-1919 


ISSION  WORK  in  Urumia,  W.  Persia,  was  begun  in  1835 
under  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions  and  in  1871  was  transferred  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  U.  S.  A.  The  work  has  been  carried  on  success- 
fully until  the  dark  days  of  the  World  War,  when  it  sud- 
denly terminated  with  the  deportation  of  the  missionaries,  October, 
1918.  At  that  time  the  lines  of  work  were  as  follows: — 

1 . An  American  School  for  Boys  with  Theological  Training  Class. 

2.  Fiske  Seminary  for  Girls  with  departments  for  Syrian,  Persian 

and  Jewish  girls. 

3.  Twenty-nine  Churches. 

4.  Westminster  Hospital  for  Men  and  Women. 

5.  The  Urumia  Press,  founded  in  1839.  The  report  for  1917 

gave  the  total  of  pages  printed — 151,779,368.  This  was 
the  last  report  received. 

IT  IS  FEARED  THAT  MOST  OF  THIS  VALUABLE  PROP- 
ERTY, REPRESENTING  YEARS  OF  MISSIONARY  LABOR,  HAS 
BEEN  ENTIRELY  DESTROYED. 


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DURING  THE  WAR 

RING  THE  FIRST  YEAR  of  the  great  World  War 
(1914),  Lrumia  was  under  Russian  control.  The  report 
for  that  year  states  "The  presence  of  Russian  influence 
has  lifted  the  cloud  of  terror  and  violence  from  the  hearts 
of  the  villagers.  The  roads  are  now  safe  for  the  transfer 
of  merchandise  and  food  supplies.”  Then  came  days  of  terror,  for  on 
January  2,  1915,  the  Russian  troops  withdrew  and  the  Christian 
population  of  the  border  districts  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  wild  Kurdish 
tribes.  Fifteen  thousand  refugees  took  refuge  behind  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  in  the  Urumia  Compound,  and  for  five  months  the  flag  flew 
uninterruptedly  and  was  used  of  God  to  protect  the  defenseless  lives 
back  of  the  gateway  of  the  compound.  May  4,  1915,  the  Russians 
again  took  up  the  reins  of  government.  From  this  time  until  the 
deportation  of  the  missionaries  in  October,  1918,  was  a period  of 
unrest.  Although  in  a neutral  country,  this  northwest  corner  of  Persia 
saw  the  passing  of  armies  and  battles.  The  Russian  troops  were  well 
disciplined,  the  Turkish  armies  and  Kurdish  hordes  were  ready  for 
plunder  and  riot. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  disorder  the  Mission  stood  firm,  and 
although  the  work  was  interrupted,  opportunities  were  great  for  reach- 
ing the  people. 

February  22,  1918,  marked  the  beginning  of  another  reign  of 
terror,  when  a great  horde  of  Moslems  and  Kurds  fled  in  terror  from 
the  nearby  villages  and  encamped  in  the  mission  compound.  A mis- 
sionary wrote  of  this: 

The  school  and  hospital  yards  were  a most  interesting 
medley.  About  one  thousand  Kurds  and  Moslems  occupied 
these  yards  and  therein  each  family  set  up  village  life  on  an 
abbreviated  scale  in  his  own  little  spot.  The  huge  ungainly 
buffalo  always  occupied  the  drawing  room;  if  there  were  cow 
or  donkey  members  of  the  household,  plus  sheep,  goats,  hens, 
oxen  and  horses,  these  stood  in  what  might  be  considered  the 
family  living  room.  . . . During  the  four  months  that 

these  people  were  among  us  we  made  efforts  to  reach  them 
spiritually  in  a number  of  ways.  The  largest  crowds  were  in 
the  camping  places.  Usually  several  songs  were  sung  and  the 
Scripture  read,  followed  by  prayer.  Then  too,  some  came  to 
our  houses  to  call  and  our  barn  people,  usually  over  20,  came 
to  our  house  to  prayers  as  often  as  they  were  invited. 

Later,  during  a lull  in  hostilities,  guards  were  secured  from 
some  of  the  villages,  and  the  refugees  were  settled  in  them 
once  more.  A few  lingered  on  until  the  final  flight  of  the 
Syrian  nation.  (This  took  place  the  last  of  July,  1918.) 
fighting  was  going  on  continually  around  us,  and  the  hos- 
pital was  filled  to  overflowing  the  first  of  June  with  about 
I 50  wounded.  The  latter  part  of  June  Dr.  Dodd  was  ill  with 
typhoid  while  Dr.  Packard  was  at  the  same  time  in  the  worst 
relapse  from  the  same  disease. 

On  August  1st,  1918,  almost  the  entire  population,  some  80,000, 
of  Urumia,  fled  in  fear  from  the  approaching  Kurds  and  Turks. 


THE  DEPORTATION 

HE  REMAINDER  of  the  mission  force  with  a large  num- 
ber of  Nestorian  Christians  were  in  the  city  until  October, 
1918,  when  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Turks.  We 
quote  from  the  account  sent  by  one  of  the  missionaries. 

We  were  given  two  hours  to  gather  up  our  possessions  and 
get  ready  to  leave.  We  packed  what  food  we  could  in  the 
steamer  trunk  while  Dr.  Ellis  got  together  our  clothing  in  a 
large  trunk.  We  did  not  know  what  to  take  in  the  way  of 
clothing  for  we  did  not  know  whether  we  were  bound  for  a 
cold  place  or  a hot  climate.  . . . As  we  passed  out 

there  stood  some  rough,  springless  wagons  drawn  by  mules. 
The  wagons  were  already  piled  so  high  that  I could  not  see 
where  1 could  possibly  find  a place  to  sit  with  my  baby.  . . . 

The  scene  we  left  was  heartrending.  Our  poor  Syrian  folk, 
whom  we  had  been  protecting  and  hiding,  clung  to  us.  and 
their  weeping  and  wailing  was  terrible.  We  were  again 
counted  for  the  n th  time  like  a lot  of  criminals,  and  then  we 
rolled  out  and  the  wail  that  rose  from  those  folk  in  our  yard 
was  like  the  wail  of  lost  souls. 


At  a port  on  Lake  Urumia  we  spent  the  first  night.  Sixteen 
persons  with  trunks,  hand  baggage,  boxes  of  condensed  milk, 
pots,  kettles  and  jars  of  cooking  grease  were  packed,  with 
enough  dirty  Kurds  and  Moslems  to  make  the  total  45,  into 
one  small  room.  Fleas,  lice  and  other  creeping  things  were 
thick,  and  the  other  prisoners  talked,  laughed,  spit  and  coughed 
all  night.  We  were  there  three  days,  but  were  allowed  after 
the  first  night  to  sleep  out  of  doors.  Then  we  were  packed 
into  the  deep  black  hold  of  a barge  with  little  air,  and  there, 
in  close  contact  with  influenza  and  other  things,  made  the 
voyage;  the  deck  of  the  barge  being  filled  with  troops  and 
German  rapid  firing  guns.  . . . We  finally  reached 

Tabriz,  and  one  week  after  our  arrival  were  turned  loose  as 
suddenly  as  we  had  been  deported,  and  no  explanation  given 
of  any  of  the  experiences  through  which  we  had  passed.  The 
same  day  that  we  were  released,  Mr.  Jessup  and  Dr.  Vanne- 
man.  of  Tabriz,  who  had  been  imprisoned  for  40  days  in  that 
city,  were  also  released. 


THE  YEAR  1919 

FTER  THE  ARMISTICE,  while  the  world  rejoiced  in  the 
coming  of  peace,  poor  Persia  was  still  under  the  iron  heel 
of  the  oppressor.  In  May,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Packard  of  the 
Urumia  force  returned  to  the  city  and  began  at  once  their 
work  of  relief  for  the  suffering  and  sick,  but  it  was  only 
for  a few  weeks,  for  further  disturbances  rendered  it  nec- 
essary for  them  to  return  to  Tabriz.  The  Mission  cabled  some  months 
ago  that  it  would  need  for  the  rehabilitation  of  Urumia  and  Tabriz — 
for  the  latter  station  also  suffered  some  from  the  hands  of  the  invading 
armies — a sum  amounting  to  $237,000. 


LATE  NEWS  FROM  WEST  PERSIA 

N NOVEMBER,  1918,  Rev.  Hugo  Muller  with  others, 
started  to  return  to  Urumia.  Mr.  Muller  wrote  from 
Tabriz,  May  1 8th,  1 9 1 9 — six  months  from  the  time  he 
left  the  U.  S.  A.,  as  follows: 

Our  whole  long  trip  has  been  full  of  interest  and  of  profit, 
but  especially  interesting  as  we  approached  our  own  field.  It 
was  gratifying  to  see  how  well  the  British  under  General 
Austin  were  conducting  the  Baquba  relief  work,  that  had  been 
well  organized  as  to  sheltering,  feeding,  sanitation,  discipline, 
etc.  The  camp  was  surprisingly  clean,  the  people  showed  that 
they  were  well  fed  and  that  their  tent  life  was  agreeing  with 
them;  the  hospital  tents  were  almost  empty.  The  people  were 
anxious  to  be  returned  to  their  homes,  and  plans  were  well 
under  way  for  their  return  before  the  hot  weather,  then  al- 
ready beginning,  should  set  in  and  prove  too  much  for  them. 
We  were  consequently  disappointed  a few  days  ago  to  learn 
that  the  British  have  postponed  their  plans  of  rehabilitation  be- 
cause of  political  conditions  in  Urumia. 

In  Hamadan  we  found  more  refugees — perhaps  2,000  or 
3,000  among  them  a larger  proportion  of  the  better  educated 
Syrians.  The  American  Committee  was  caring  for  them. 

All  along  the  line  to  Tabriz,  beggars,  hungry  and  cold, 
plead  for  relief.  There  were  some  among  them,  the  "pro- 
fessional beggar,"  but  there  were  many,  many,  begging  as  a 
last  resort  and  not  as  a fine  art.  Much  of  my  travel  on  this 
road  was  in  the  rain,  and  by  the  side  of  the  road  far  from  a 
house  or  any  semblance  of  shelter  1 frequently  passed  persons, 
with  their  scanty  rags  thoroughly  drenched  in  the  rain,  holding 
out  their  skinny  hand  for  alms — little  children,  one  such  no 
bigger  than  my  own  two-year-old  boy,  alone  in  the  rain,  and 
far  from  the  nearest  house;  old  women  scantily  clad  and 
showing  the  terrible  effects  of  famine;  old  men,  lame  and 
decrepit.  My  eight  years  in  Persia  have  hardened  me  toward 
the  professional  beggar  but  these  sights  touched  me.  Other 
effects  of  the  war,  too,  were  not  wanting — bullet  holes, 
trenches,  burned  houses  and  half-deserted  villages. 


URUMIA  MISSIONARY  FORCE 

Rev  F G.  Coan,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Coan,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Shedd.  Rev. 
E W McDowell,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  McDowell,  Miss  E.  D.  Lamme,  Harry 
P Packard,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Packard.  Mrs.  J.  P.  Cochran,  Rev.  Hugo 
A Muller  and  Mrs.  Muller,  M.D.,  Rev.  E.  T.  Allen  and  Mrs.  Allen. 
Miss  Mary  E.  Burgess  (R.N.),  Wilder  P.  Ellis.  M.D.  and  Mrs.  Ellis. 
Edward  Mills  Dodd,  M.D.,  Miss  Marie  Gillespie,  Rev.  Livingston 
Bentley.  Philip  McDowell,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  McDowell. 

BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
OF  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 

,,,,  156  Filth  Avenue.  New  York 

Form  ZOO) 


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